Apparatus for conditioning paper



Aug. 17, 1937. l... B. KQCH 2,090,131

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING PAPER Filed Dec 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNVENTOR Q Q a Lydia/3.16002 A I N W ATTORNEY Aug. 1937- L. B. KOCH APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING PAPER Filed Dec. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 17, 1937 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING PAPER Lydia B. Koch, New York, N. r.

Application December 8, 1934, Serial No. 756,571

2 Claims.

Among the principal objects which the pres! ent invention has in view are: to provide an apparatus having means within which to keep paper, such as that used in the making of paper bottles, in a desired condition before using the same; to utilize the means to maintain the spec ification required by the manufacturer and user so that the paper will always contain the water content necessary for perfect workability; to maintain the paper in perfect condition at 'all times in all seasons of the year and under all weather conditions; to utilize the use of certain chemicals for maintaining the perfect workability of conditioning the paper; to be enabled to use certain means and instruments together with inlets and outlets whereby the desired conditioning of the paper is obtained; to be enabled to close off one part of the apparatus while a similar part is in operation; to provide auxiliary means to assure the maintained condition of the paper after the same has been removed from the apparatus and transferred to a receiving table in conjunction with a paper bottle making machine and preparatory to the manufacture of the bottles; and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus for conditioning paper, a part of the paper bottle making machine being shown in elevation, an auxiliary pipe also being shown leading from the apparatus to the paper magazine for further conditioning the paper simultaneously as the paper is being fed to the bottle making apparatus;

Figure 2 is a sectional view with parts broken away for clarity and shown as taken on the line 2,--2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing all detail parts used for conditioning paper and shown as taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view shown as taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an electrical diagram showing the wiring and other parts essential to the invention.

Description As seen in the drawings, the reference numeral l0 indicates my improved apparatus for conditioning paper such as used for the manufacture of paper bottles. Said apparatus Ill-is substantially rectangular in shape and in section is divided to provide a plurality of chambers.

1) inlwhat may for convenience be called the front of the apparatus. After the paper has been conditioned, as for instance in accordance with specifications from the mills," it is placed as required in a magazine ll of a paper bottle making machine l5 directly adjacent the apparatus ill or any other suitable convenient location.

The paper chambers it are suitably and preferably separated from the lower part of 'the apparatus by a horizontal partition Iii, and in this lower part of the apparatus there is shown a pair of longitudinal dehydrating chambers l1, l1, extending substantially the length of the apparatus and separated from each other by a further horizontal partition I1. Thesechambers l1, I! are preferably separated by the partition for purposes of using one chamber and shutting off the other entirely from use if so desired and/or using them alternately. Within these said chambers area plurality of pans l8 which may be inserted therein or removed therefrom by virtue of opening a longitudinal hinged door l9 as shown in Figure l. The said pans are preferably provided with a dehydrating agent, such as lithium chloride, activated alumina, or other dehydrating agent to absorb moisture from, the incoming air in its passage to the paper in chambers l2 being conditioned. As will be noted and referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the forward end of the apparatus, that is; next the left end, as shown, of chambers l7, l1, there is provided means for allowing air from the outside to pass into the said chambers in a clean condition. Such means preferably may be a filter 2c suitably attached to and forming part of the end wall of the structure of the apparatus,

thus assuring the air upon entry shall be free' from dirt and other foreign substances.

Immediately adjacent the inside of the filter 20, there is provided a plurality of electric heat- I in coils 2|, 2| one in each dehydrating chamber throwing on or off thecurrent when so desired.

In the present showing and whenever climatic conditions warrant, such as a heavy humid condition, much moisture is absorbed by the dehydrating agent in the pans l8. When such a con-' dition exists, it is then preferable to dry up the moisture and by virtue of throwing on the one 5 switch 2|. as, for example, the switch controlling the electric heating coil 2| in the lower chamber l1. With the heat thus on, the moisture in the dehydrating pans of said lower chamber will gradually dry and/or be forced out of the appa- 10 ratus as will be hereinafter more fully explained. During the operation above described, the upper chamber I! will be in operation, with the electricheating coils in said chambers .not in use. However, a certain amount of the moisture is absorbed 15 from the incoming air by the dehydrating agent in the pans, thereby creating an air condition in said chamber.

Having thus created an air condition in the one or upper chamber H, the air passes out 20 through an automatic damper controlled door 22 opening to a final mixing chamber 23 where the air may be further conditioned as by adding more moisture to it, depending on the specifications. As for example, there is provided a pan 25 24 containing lumps of charcoal, this pan with the charcoal being conveniently referred to as the moisture box,.the water being furnishedv thereto by .a pipe 25. However, it will be understood that it is preferred that the water shall fiow and means are provided for escape thereof, as through a drain pipe 26 suitably connected to the bottom of the pan and out through the apparatus structure. If so desired, the humidified air may be heated by heating coils 2'! located adja- 5 cent the pan 2! in the chamber 23. Both the introduction of water and heat may be regulated as will be more fully described hereinafter. As the air is now properly conditioned, it may then pass into the paper chambers l2 through manual- 40 ly controlled interior doors 28, 28 from mixing f chamber to paper chambers, said doors being opened or closed from the outside of the apparatus as by knobs 29 said knobs enabling the doors to be readily opened or closed, and having 45 suitable indicating means for enabling the operator to readily appreciate the position of the doors 28 at anytime.

It will be observed that the structure comprising the dehydrating chambers l1, l1, if desired, may be completely shut off from the mixing chamber 23 whereby moist air, if and when existing within the chambers, may be exhausted. In this connection there are provided auxiliary dampers 3|, 3| suitably located in the dehydrat- 55 ing chambers at theends opposite from the filtering end. These dampers likewise are manually controlled from the outside, so that either one or both doors at one time may be opened, or the one door opened and the other one closed. As 60 for example, the dehydrating agent in the pans l8 of' the lowerchamber II, as heretofore described, contains excessive moisture, in which event, the damper door 22 may be automatically closed. This moisture is then permitted to escape 65 into a flue 32 and out of the room. Also, by virtue of the heating coils, the moisture is more quickly dispelled. To assist in the escape of the moisture, there is provided in the flue suitable means, such asan exhaust fan 33. If necessary or desirable, 70 the pans l8 may be removed and other dehydrating agent added to the present agent or be replaced with another agent. Further, it will benoted that under the conditions above assumed, the upper dehydrating chamber will be func- 75 tioning in so far that the door or a xili y damper 3| is closed and the other damper door. 22 is open. It might be stated at this time that utilization of the dehydrating agent in the pans is not always necessary or required. As, for example, during dry climatic conditions, the air entering the apparatus is devoid of any moisture, in which case, the pans need not be in the chambers, the air thus passing directly through the chambers 11 into the mix-ing chamber 23 where moisture-may be then added. In this instance the dehydrated or dry air will enter the final mixing chamber 23 and there be conditioned before it circulates into the paper chambers l2. In order to insure proper circulation for conditioning the paper, the air may be drawn therethrough by means of a suitable electrically operated circulating fan 34 conveniently attached to the forward end of the apparatus. Should it be preferred that the conditioned air remain for any length of time in the paper chambers, the fan may be shut oif as by a switch 35. Also, if required, a single paper chamber may likewise be closed from the others thereby retaining the conditioned air therein indefinitely or until the paper is removed to the magazine ll of the paper bottle making machine II.

The apparatus is preferably made as nearly automatic and continuously operating as practical, and for this purpose, I include in the air circuit, and by preference in the final chamber before discharge of the air from the apparatus, a thermostat 36 and a humidostat 31. These instruments are designated specifically merely by way of illustration of condition-controlling means. The instruments are of a known type which will automatically make and break an electric circuit upon change of condition in the vicinity of the instrument. Thus the thermostat, as

shown diagrammatically in Figure'fi, closes circuit wires 38, 38 from the mains 39, 39, to a mag- '40 net or relay switch 40 in turn controlling current from the mains through circuit wires 4|, 4| in series with heater 21. Thus, when the thermostat registers insufiicientheat, it closes the circuit to the relay, closing that switch and causing heater 21 to function until the thermostat registers ample heat and thereupon opens the relay circuit which in turn opens the moisture, the humidostat functions to close a switch in circuit wires 42, 42 from the mains, closing said circuit functioning through'a magnet or other electrically operated instrumentality 43 to open a water valve 44 to the moisture box feed pipe 28, thereby admitting additional water.- When the humidostat registers sufilcient moisture, it functions to open the circuit and thus permits the. valve to close and shut 011' further admission of water.

After conditioned paper has been removed from the compartments l2 and placed into the magazine ll of the paper-bottle making machine I5,

it is in the proper condition for manufacturing paper bottles or the like. However, in order to maintain the paper in the required condition in accordance with specifications, I have found it convenient to run a, pipe 45 from the end of the apparatus described as the mixing chamber, said pipe 45 preferably extending to and overlying the top of the magazine. By virtue-of this pipe, a continuous flow of conditioned air will be enabled to escape out through a substantially shaped funnel 46 attached to the end of .the pipe and onto the conditioned paper in the magazine. I claim: i

1. An apparatus "for conditioning .paper as characterized comprising means for dehydrating air, means for controlling temperature of air introduced to the dehydrating means, manually operated means for controlling the flow of the dehydrated air, means ior controlling humidity of the air after leaving the dehydrating means, and means for controlling temperature of the air after being dehydrated.

2. An apparatus for conditioning paper as characterized comprising means for filtering air to be used, means for heating the filtered air. means for dehydrating the heated air, manually operated means for controlling the flow, or the dehydrated air. means for reheating the dehydrated air, means for humidifying the air and means for passing the humidified air over the paper or' the like to be conditioned.

LYDIA B. KOCH. 

